Jack Harris

Jack Harris came to San Francisco from Boston as a sailor in 1851. He deserted the ship at first opportunity. He commited a number of small robberies in Yuba and Nevada counties of California. He was arrested for robbery at Nevada City, but a hung jury set him free. When prospectors started heading to the silver mines of Nevada, Jack went too. He set up a saloon and got married at Carson City. He stayed legitimate for 3 or 4 years. Then he started operating as a road agent, while still maintaining the saloon until 1864. He robbed the stages of the Pioneer line. After 1864 he stayed strictly in Nevada because Jim Hume, deputy sheriff of El Dorado county, California, and future Wells Fargo agent, was after him in California.

One June 29, 1865, Jack got Al Waterman and Red Smith to join him in a robbery of stage. The rumor was it would be carrying $14,000 to pay the miners of the Hale & Norcross mine, part of the Comstock Lode. The bandits held guns on Baldy Green, thought to be the most frequently robbed driver. Jack and his cronies got the $14,000.

Wells Fargo guessed it was Harris and offered $5,000 for the reward. Harris andRred Smith were actually caught a few days later in Austin, Nevada. Al Waterman was caught in Sierra Valley. But the three only had a few hundred dollars. The rest was stashed. Wells Fargo was more interested in getting its money back than prosecuting the men. So they leaned on Smith, who confessed where the money was. Then he got out of Nevada.

Wells Fargo made a deal with Jack for giving evidence in other robberies, so they would go light on him. He evidently agreed to the deal as he got only five years, while Al Waterman got twelve. He got out two months later. The deal was that he leave Nevada, which he did, momentarily. He came back in 1867. He got a new partner, a notorious cow thief and highwayman named Nicanor Rodriguez. They opened a saloon in Austin. When news of new strikes in Hamilton and Treasure Hill were reported, Jack moved his salooon there and was in business in a tent two hours after his arrival. He didn’t do well there and moved on to Eureka. He moved back to Hamilton, two months later. In 1872, he got in a duel in which his gun hand, his right, was permanently disabled. He moved to Pioche, Nevada. He died there in May 1875.

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Last updated: 9/12/99